The popularity of stylized motor vehicle wheels with automobile owners has increased, in particular with luxury and sports cars. Many motor vehicles now include decorative aluminum or steel wheels which require polishing prior to layering with a suitable coating or plating material to produce a glossy or lustrous surface. Typically, chrome or copper is coated on the front face of such wheels to enhance the overall aesthetic appearance of the automobile.
In order to provide wheels with such an aesthetically pleasing appearance, the front face of the wheel must be finished so as to be as smooth as possible prior to coating, since any imperfections in the finish of the wheel face will typically be magnified by the plating material. One method still in use presently is to manually polish or finish the front wheel face by rubbing an abrasive onto same by hand. Finishing wheels in this manner is time consuming, tedious, and expensive.
In view of the inefficiencies associated with finishing wheels by hand, various types of automated machines have been developed for this purpose. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,356 discloses a wheel finishing apparatus including a rotating carousel-type hub which mounts thereon multiple wheel-carrying arm assemblies. The rotating carousel drives the wheels in an orbit through a tank containing polishing media so that the wheels are partially submerged within the media. Each arm assembly is constructed so as to allow pivotal adjustment of the mounted wheel about a vertical pivot axis parallel with the cental axis of rotation of the carousel hub.
The wheel polishing device according to the present invention includes a drive assembly which is supported on and positioned above a bowl assembly containing polishing media. The drive assembly includes a turret which supports at least one wheel and positions same within the polishing media. The turret is rotatable relative to the bowl assembly such that the wheel or wheels carried thereon is orbitally driven through the polishing media to polish at least the front face of the wheel. The device additionally includes a cam arrangement which causes pivoting of the wheel about a vertical pivot axis at least once per revolution about the bowl. Further, the polishing device also permits adjustment of the angle of the wheel axis relative to the horizontal, and allows vertical oscillation of the wheel within the media.
Many wheels which require polishing include a number of openings inwardly of the wheel rim which extend through the wheel. The pivoting movement of the wheel about its vertical pivot axis, as well as the vertical oscillation of the wheel relative to the media effectively breaks up the flow of media within the bowl or storage tank which can tend to become stagnant during processing, and forces the media into different flow paths through the wheel. Further, varying the position of the wheel in the above manner also reduces the tendency of the media to collect and become stuck or wedged within the openings of the wheel. By adjusting the position of the wheel axis relative to the horizontal, the force of the cutting action of the media on the wheel can be varied based upon the level of polishing which is needed. All of the above measures according to the invention provide better coverage of the media on the wheel, which improves the overall finish and decreases the amount of time required to process the wheel.
The wheel polishing device according to the invention in one embodiment includes a hub arrangement which is located in the center of the tank or bowl containing the polishing media. The hub arrangement serves to restrict the flow of media so that same is compressed against the wheel during processing. Otherwise, media can build up in the center of the bowl during processing, thereby reducing the polishing effect thereof on the wheel. The hub arrangement incorporates a plurality of wings which are adjustable inwardly or outwardly based upon the size of the wheel being processed.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with devices of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the device and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.